Sunday, July 10, 2011

A Picture Far, Far from Home Made for one Important Letter Home

While on a recent visit home to Yazoo City, while looking through someold papers, I came across an old scrapbookof pictures of Papa and crew members and old newspaper clippings from thewar that Papa had saved. One of thepaper clippings had come from 'The Jackson Daily News'. It was a picture of several Belhaven Collegegirls, and one of the young ladies wasWinkie Sample (Allen) from Belzoni,Mississippi.

Upon seeing this, I realized that thiswas the very picture my dad had mentioned in his memoirs. He hadwritten to Winkie while he was instationed in Italy.

Now, I had never met Winkie. Hope,my sister said she had spoken with herbut it had been some several years.But within a few short weeks I wasable to locate her, and oh, how I haveenjoyed all our phone conversations.I sent her a copy of the CDs I made of Papa's war memoirs, and she tells me she has thoroughly enjoyedlistening to them.

I recently asked Winkie to give meher personal accounting of the storyof Papa writing to her after seeingher picture in the paper. Severaldays later I received her lovely andthoughtful letter along with severalpictures I'd like to share.

By Winkie Sample Allen:

"The episode of Charles contactingme at Belhaven College (in 1945)after seeing a picture of me in theold Jackson Daily News when hewas overseas in Italy, is a favoritestory I've loved to tell through theyears.

My best friend in college that year was Alice Hutchison of Crystal Springs.On seeing my letter from Charles, shecommented that her brother, FountHutchison, had the same APO mailingaddress for his army base in Italy.In writing her brother later, she toldhim this.

Well, almost no time after this, mymother called to tell me the sad newsthat Charles was missing in action,the plane he was piloting having gonedown with all his crew. Soon afterthis Alice had a call from Fountsaying, 'tell Winkie we know thatCharles is safe. He and his crewparachuted from their damagedplane and landed in friendly territory. We know he will beok.'

I immediately called Annie and"Big Charles" to tell them this news.They were elated, as they had heardnothing since the Missing in Actionmessage. Very soon they did hearofficially that Charles was safe.(How I loved hearing 'the rest ofthe story' from the two CD's yousent me telling the whole excitingdetails. As I told you, I listenedwith my Atlas maps of Italy,Austria, Morocco and Yugoslaviain front of me).

The next ---and possible the highlightof my freshman year at Belhaven---I saw a car drive up to my dorma few days after my call to Annie.Here came Annie, Bess and Marywith a huge platter of homemadecandies of all kinds for Alice andme. What a happy day!"

* * *

I am looking forward to my nextvisit home to Yazoo City andreminiscing with Winkie, perhapsover some of my homemade banana bread and sweet tea, listening to all her wonderfulstories of our family.

Liz Bacher

This picture was from the Jackson Daily News.Winkie Sample Allen is on the second row far right.This is the picture my dad saw while stationed in Italy andupon seeing it wrote a letter to Winkie.

The picture on left is a picture of Winkie on the far right.The picture to the right is Alice Hutchison (NowMs. Jimmy Little from Crystal Springs, Ms. Alice is the sister to Fount Hutchison who was stationed in Italy with Charles.

2 comments:

I have a friend who is a veteran. She was telling me about a new military website she heard about. The name is mymilitarypages.com. She told me that it lists local businesses that offer discounts to the military. I decided to go and look at it myself and found a great site. Not only are there discounts, but there is military related news, jokes and benefit information. In this economy, who couldn't stand to save a little money?

I think that you have made,the most wonderful accomplishment of, the giving to your readers, how your Papa and Mother raised you and your siblings. Most Commendable!!!Let us know the rest of the Winkie Story.